Can opener



Nov. 9, 1954 F SEABURYJL 2,693,639

CAN OPENER Filed April 8, 1954 inve@ for fr0/7K Seabury ZZ By b/lSZZor/e United States Patent() CAN UPENER Frank Seabury II, Manchester, Mass. Application April 8, 195,4, Serial No. 421,835

3 Claims. (Cl. 30-16) The present invention relates to can openers and more particularly to puncture type can openers for use in opening metallic cans containing carbonated or aerated liquids; however it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited in its utility to openers for metallic cans nor to openers used in opening cans containing carbonated or aerated liquids.

It has hitherto been proposed to provide a splash guard or tab in combination with puncture type can openers which will protect the user from the spray which commonly emits from a punctured hole when opening carbonated beverages. Such devices provide only a partial solution of the problems which are inherent in the use of ithis type of opener and furthermore create other probems.

For example such openers must be provided with a puncturing point which, while not always extremely sharp, is a source of danger when carried in the users pocket, as is common practice, not only to the users person but to his clothing. Another problem involved in the use of puncture type openers is that in using it it necessarily becomes coated by the liquid in the can. Cleaning of the opener, from time to time, is essential. Where splash guards have been used in the past such cleaning has been difficult due to the inaccessible pocket formed at the point where the guard is attached to the opener.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a puncture type can opener having a splash guard which serves as a protector for the puncturing point of the opener when it is not in use.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a puncture type can opener having a combined splash guard and puncturing point protector which is easily and simply detached to enable thorough cleaning.

More particularly and according to the various features of the present invention, a protective plastic guard of novel construction is provided in combination with a puncture type can opener of well known construction. Such can openers have a lip for engaging the under surface of the rim which is formed on a fiat top can, a pointed puncturing portion adapted to overlay the top of the can and a handle portion which the user may grip to puncture the top of the can with the pointed portion. Secured to the body portion of the opener is a splash guard preferably formed of a plastic material such as polyethylene. When the opener is being used this guard overlays both the pointed punturing portion of the opener and the top of the can thereby protecting the user from any splash or spray especially when the opener is used to open a can containing a carbonated liquid. When the opener is not in use the guard may be wrapped around the puncturing point and is secured in this protective relation by engaging a hole or recess formed in the end of the guard with the lip of the opener.

As a further feature, the splash guard may be attached to the body of the opener in a detachable manner. Preferably snap fasteners of any well known construction may be employed, thus the guard may be easily and quickly removed and replaced to enable thorough cleaning of both the guard and the opener. By using a snap fastener the guard is at all times correctly positioned longitudinally of the opener. If it is desired a second snap fastener may be employed to insure proper transverse positioning of the guard and correct registration of the hole in the guard with the lip of the opener.

The above and other various features including various novel details of construction will now be described with ICC , more particularity with reference to the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims.

In the single drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in plan of my improved can opener` showing it applied to a metal can;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation and partly in section showing my can opener in its relation to ,an opened can;

Fig. 3 is an exploded view, on a smaller scale, of my opener and its detachable guard; and

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation and partly in section showing another form of construction. i

Referring to Figs. l and 2 a conventional puncture type can opener 10 is shown. In accordance with this type of one-piece construction, it has a handle portion 12 (shown in full in Fig. 3) at one end, an angular puncturing portion 14 of curved form which terminates in a sharp point 16 and a lip 18 for engaging the undersurface of the rim R of a flat topped can C. In use the opener is grasped by the handle 12 with the lip 18 in engagement with the underside of the rim R. The handle 12 is pivoted upwardly about the rim R causing the point 16 to puncture the top of the can and thereafter the puncturing portion 14 forms a triangular aperture 19 in the top of the can C as the opener assumes the position shown in Fig. 2.

When this type of opener is used to open cans containing carbonated or aerated liquids the sudden release of pressure causes the compressed gases to spurt the liquid upward spraying the user and the adjacent area in an undesirable manner. To prevent this I have provided a spray guard 20 which effectively covers the aperture 19 formed in the top of the can C during use as is clearly shown in Figs. l and 2.

The spray guard 20 is of a plastic material preferably a plastic material which is flexible and has some degree of resilience. For this purpose I have found polyethylene to be preferable for several reasons including its chemical stability, although there are other materials having similar properties which could be substituted within the spirit of my invention.

Openers of the present type are frequently carried on the person of the user to provide ready availability. This practice often results in injury to the users clothing or person from the sharp puncturing point 16. To provide protection from this danger the splash guard 20 is of sutcient length to wrap around the point 16 when the opener 10 is not in use (Fig. 4). An opening 22 is formed in the free end of the guard 20 which provides a surface 23 which is adapted to engage the lip 18, thus the resilient property of the guard 20 causes it to remaln in this protective, wrapped around condition. It is understood that a recess or other means for providing the surface 23 would be equally effective. Using the lip 18 as engagement means for the surface 23 is uniquely convenient though it would be possible to substitute other means.

The guard 20 may be attached to the opener 10 in either a permanent or detachable fashion. In Fig. 4 the guard 20 is shown aixed to the opener 10 in a permanent fashf ion and in its protective, wrapped around condition. The means of attachment is provided by a heat seal bond, a further characteristic of polyethylene which makes preferable its selection as a material for the guard 20.

As was noted above when splash guards are combined with openers of the present type the problem of thoroughly cleaning them is made difficult by reason of the inaccessible zone adjacent the point of attachment. For that reason I prefer to mount the guard 20 on the opener 10 in a detachable fashion. In so attaching the guard 20 it is necessary that the guard be properly positioned longitudinally and transversely of the body 12 so that the surface 23 will be in proper registration with the lip 18. To this end I have provided snap fasteners 24 on the guard 2() which engage holes 26 formed in the handle 12. A single fastener 24 would sufce but I have found that two are preferable. The snap fasteners 24 are of conventional spring action construction and are intended only as a disclosure of detachable fastening means.

The can opener which I have described provides an effective combination which not only protects the user from spray when opening cans containing carbonated liquids but iords protection from injury which might be caused by e puncturing point of the opener in 'a unique manner.' Fu hermore when the guard lis secured to the opener in a det chable manner it is possible to take advantage of the v protective features of the' guard and be lable to clean it thoroughly.

Having described my invention, 'what I claim -as -new and |desire to `secu-re by Letters Paten-t of the United States is:

1. A vcan opener having, 'in combination, a handle,- a puncturing portion Vftermirrating in a punctu-ring point, "a lip for 'engaging the undersurface Aof a can rim and a guard of plastic material secured to 'said opener, Lsa-id guard being lof lsucient length to wrap around lsaid puncturing point and having a surface formed therein which is adapted to engage said lip thereby maintaining said guard in `a protective relation 'with respect to said point.

2. A can opener having, in combination, a handle, a puncturing portion terminating in a puncturing point, a lip for engaging the undersurface of a can rim and a guard of plastic material detachably secured to said opener, said guard being of suicient length to wrap around said puncturing point Iand having a surface formed therein which is adapted to engage said lip thereby maintaining said guard in a'prote'ct'ive relation with respect to said point.

3. The can opener of claim 2 wherein the guard is detachably secured to the opener by snap fasteners.

No references fcited. 

